For ages Declan has refused to read anything but fairly basic books even though we've known he could read them. We attributed this to his ceding the ground to Callum.
Then last week he wanted to read an Andy Griffiths book (The Pencil of Doom). He promptly devoured it and then another in the same series. This week he's reading 39 Clues - a book designed for 9-12 year olds. He just seems to have made a bewildering leap forward in his reading and it's not clear why (not that we're complaining, of course; but it'd be nice to understand what's going on).
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Declan's award
We got a letter today to tell us that Declan will be receiving an A-Day award for a "Positive Attitude and Approach to Learning" next week.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The SC
Callum is a founder member of the "SC" at school - which stands for Spy Club. Its cover name is Saddle Club - he explained to me that that was a club just for girls, so that nobody would expect it to really be a Spy Club (which has a mixed membership).
His code name is Gadget Guy. He went to Juliette's (one of the other founder members) birthday party last weekend, and labelled the birthday card, "this card will self destruct after reading".
One of the girls in his class, Emmanuelle, has started a rival club, just for girls, which spies on all the boys. I was worried that she might have "turned" Juliette, but Callum thinks it is OK because Juliette is a founder member of the orginal SC and would always stay loyal.
His code name is Gadget Guy. He went to Juliette's (one of the other founder members) birthday party last weekend, and labelled the birthday card, "this card will self destruct after reading".
One of the girls in his class, Emmanuelle, has started a rival club, just for girls, which spies on all the boys. I was worried that she might have "turned" Juliette, but Callum thinks it is OK because Juliette is a founder member of the orginal SC and would always stay loyal.
Speak offs
Declan came home yesterday in high excitement - he had made it into the speakoffs! He was still excited at 9.30 last night - savouring the memory of when Mrs Havercroft had told him he had made it in.
It turned out on further enquiry today that he had only made it to first reserve - but he is still thrilled nonetheless, and hoping that one of his classmates is away that day ("not sick, Jennifer, just away") so he gets to compete.
It turned out on further enquiry today that he had only made it to first reserve - but he is still thrilled nonetheless, and hoping that one of his classmates is away that day ("not sick, Jennifer, just away") so he gets to compete.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Rainy weekend
This weekend was mostly rainy, which led to some interesting highlights:
Saturday, when the highlight was Declan being covered in mud because his soccer match still happened. I wasn't surprised by the muddy legs and arms. That made sense. But I couldn't quite understand how he got so much mud on his face!
Sunday, when in an effort to find something to do when Callum and I were out at another band competition (they came third!), Declan and Evan went out to the hardware shop, and bought equipment to make a working pair of scales (pictured) designed by Declan.
Friday, June 19, 2009
A Capella
This morning we gave Milly and Alice a lift to school. Callum and Milly were sitting in the back, and started singing their band parts together. Callum has been singing their pieces around the house all week, but this was more special - they each did their own parts, in time, and vaguely in harmony! It actually sounded quite good - particularly one section which seemed to be a call and response between the clarinets (Milly) and the bass (Callum).
Thursday, June 18, 2009
He's got our genes after all
Last night when Evan came back from the P&C at 9.20, I thought I should check on Declan, just in case he was still awake. He was, and avidly reading his new Andy Griffiths book. We told him to turn the light off and stop reading. "I'm not tired at all! I'm up to Chapter 23! This book is really interesting!".
We eventually persuaded him, and he turned the light off and stopped reading. Despite our stern looks, Evan and I were smiling as we went back down the stairs.
We eventually persuaded him, and he turned the light off and stopped reading. Despite our stern looks, Evan and I were smiling as we went back down the stairs.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Watching a burning ship
Last Friday we went into the City after School and watched a re-creation of the sinking of the Three Bees in 1814. It was a lovely evening and the boys appeared delighted to be trying to work out how the burning ship worked.
Desert in the chocolate cafe in the rocks went down well too...
Desert in the chocolate cafe in the rocks went down well too...
Another test
Because we've been talking to a range of Schools recently and Callum's IQ test is out-of-date for practical purposes, we had him tested again.
His basic test results turned out to be the same as Declan's although with variations in the sub-tests. He hit the ceiling in most of the sub-tests which means that that without doing a seperate round of testing with a different 'instrument' the actual numbers only give a baseline.
His basic test results turned out to be the same as Declan's although with variations in the sub-tests. He hit the ceiling in most of the sub-tests which means that that without doing a seperate round of testing with a different 'instrument' the actual numbers only give a baseline.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
More band competition
Callum had another band competition today, which I got to go and watch. It was the Yamaha Band Festival, and their teacher was so confident that she entered them in the second bottom category, not the bottom! (which is not bad, since they have only been playing their instruments since February, in the vast majority of cases)
It was very well organised, so we only really had to be there for about an hour and a half, for a 15 minute actual performance (given there were about 20 bands in their section, it could have been much worse). Their band was about twice as big as the others (58 children to get playing in time), and (to my prejudiced eye) looked a bit younger, so they did very well to be up there in the standard.
This one doesn't have winners - you just get a grading - gold, silver, or bronze, so we'll see how they go.
It was very well organised, so we only really had to be there for about an hour and a half, for a 15 minute actual performance (given there were about 20 bands in their section, it could have been much worse). Their band was about twice as big as the others (58 children to get playing in time), and (to my prejudiced eye) looked a bit younger, so they did very well to be up there in the standard.
This one doesn't have winners - you just get a grading - gold, silver, or bronze, so we'll see how they go.
Best and fairest
On the ride to soccer yesterday morning, Declan was commenting that he hadn't won the best and fairest award yet, "And Nick O has won it twice! That shouldn't happen". I told him that he needed to run after the ball more, and try his hardest, and he would get it one day.
In the game, he played one of his worst games at the beginning, wandering around in a bit of a daze and kicking the ball if it happened to come near him, but in the second half, when the coach was watching, he had a burst of energy and started tackling everything that moved.
So he duly won the best and fairest award. He was very pleased, but I thought it was a bit of a shame that it was on one of his worst games! We had a bit of a chat about the contrast between the two halves, so we'll see what happens next week.
In the game, he played one of his worst games at the beginning, wandering around in a bit of a daze and kicking the ball if it happened to come near him, but in the second half, when the coach was watching, he had a burst of energy and started tackling everything that moved.
So he duly won the best and fairest award. He was very pleased, but I thought it was a bit of a shame that it was on one of his worst games! We had a bit of a chat about the contrast between the two halves, so we'll see what happens next week.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Band Competition
Callum came home from school very chuffed. He had been in their first Band Competition, and they had won through to the finals! There were seven schools, one of which was North Sydney Dem, and some of which had their intermediate or even concert bands entered.
That means they get to go to a final on 21st June.
There has been a lot of band practice lately - four practices a week last week (2 mornings 2 lunchtimes), which Evan and I have been groaning about, but Callum seems pretty happy about. He said tonight at dinner that he definitely wants to do it next year, too.
That means they get to go to a final on 21st June.
There has been a lot of band practice lately - four practices a week last week (2 mornings 2 lunchtimes), which Evan and I have been groaning about, but Callum seems pretty happy about. He said tonight at dinner that he definitely wants to do it next year, too.
Monday, June 08, 2009
Captain
Declan's soccer team (of 12 boys) gets split into two teams to play five a side soccer every week. That gives a fair opportunity for touching the ball, and also for various positions of responsibility.
This week, Declan was captain of his half team. That involves wearing an armband the whole game, and also conferring with the coach afterwards to choose the best and fairest on his team. He took his responsibilities very seriously.
Sadly the team lost 9-0.
This week, Declan was captain of his half team. That involves wearing an armband the whole game, and also conferring with the coach afterwards to choose the best and fairest on his team. He took his responsibilities very seriously.
Sadly the team lost 9-0.
Coughing
Callum has been coughing fairly heavily for about two weeks now, ever since he had a nasty cold which kept him home from school. Evan and I have been having flashbacks to when he got pneumonia, so Evan took him to the doctor on Saturday (while Declan had soccer). Turned out that his chest his clear, and the cough is his body's attempt to keep it that way.
It's still painful to watch Callum, though - every time he has some intense exercise (like a fight with Evan over a doona, for example) he ends up in paroxysms of coughing.
It's still painful to watch Callum, though - every time he has some intense exercise (like a fight with Evan over a doona, for example) he ends up in paroxysms of coughing.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Sleeping
In contrast to the beginning of this blog, when sleeping was one of my obsessions, I haven't written about it lately. But patterns are changing, and I should record the current state.
Callum doesn't need much sleep. He goes to sleep sometime around 9-10 most nights (having read in bed since around 8). And he wakes up very early. He knows he isn't allowed out of bed until 6, so if it's before that when he wakes up (which is at least a third of the time) he will turn the light on and read until 6. When I get up early for Bootcamp, and he's awake, I go in to say hello, and he will pretend to be asleep, but fail utterly, because he has a broad grin on his face (and of course, the light is on).
Declan, on the other hand, is an incipient teenager. He will got to sleep pretty quickly after going to bed (8- 8.30), and we frequently have to wake him up around 7 on weekday mornings so he can get read for school in time. Last weekend he set a new record (he proudly told me) by waking up at 7.55!
Callum doesn't need much sleep. He goes to sleep sometime around 9-10 most nights (having read in bed since around 8). And he wakes up very early. He knows he isn't allowed out of bed until 6, so if it's before that when he wakes up (which is at least a third of the time) he will turn the light on and read until 6. When I get up early for Bootcamp, and he's awake, I go in to say hello, and he will pretend to be asleep, but fail utterly, because he has a broad grin on his face (and of course, the light is on).
Declan, on the other hand, is an incipient teenager. He will got to sleep pretty quickly after going to bed (8- 8.30), and we frequently have to wake him up around 7 on weekday mornings so he can get read for school in time. Last weekend he set a new record (he proudly told me) by waking up at 7.55!
Monday, June 01, 2009
Long lunch
It was my birthday on the weekend, and to celebrate, we all went out to a lazy Sunday lunch. It was the first time we've managed to go to an upmarket restaurant as a family for a reasonable length of time.
We were at Le Kiosk, next to Shelley Beach, which meant the boys could run around between courses, and Evan had also thoughtfully brought books for them. It also helped that there was a children's menu.
Still, I was very proud of them, as they were very well behaved, and let Evan and me have a nice 2 hour lunch with three courses!
I'm was amused by the desserts - we got a tasting plate, and Declan loved every bit, while Callum turned his nose up at pretty much everything (except biscotti). The lad does not have a sweet tooth.
We were at Le Kiosk, next to Shelley Beach, which meant the boys could run around between courses, and Evan had also thoughtfully brought books for them. It also helped that there was a children's menu.
Still, I was very proud of them, as they were very well behaved, and let Evan and me have a nice 2 hour lunch with three courses!
I'm was amused by the desserts - we got a tasting plate, and Declan loved every bit, while Callum turned his nose up at pretty much everything (except biscotti). The lad does not have a sweet tooth.
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